JuicyLarry

You can have mine if you want it

In Milwaukee, especially in rougher neighborhoods, they either stopped caring about front plates or it isn't law anymore (or im just lucky...) I used to get my plates stolen or the stickers snipped off my rear plates at least once a year so I always keep one fresh plate in the house as a backup. I hate going to the fucking DMV...

Berat

iTrader: (1)

If this was a parking ticket, just take a picture of the plate mounted and send it in. Say the officer was mistaken. 7/10 They'll just toss it and call it a day. If they took a picture of it, then just pay it and get it over with. I'm from Chicago so I've had this happen a few times and I'll just take a photo and date it the day of the ticket. Sometimes you get lucky and the person working that day doesn't care, sometimes you wont and they just tell you, you have to pay it. Doesn't hurt to try.

Ereek

This is what I was planning on arguing on. My friend told me that I could go to some teen court and only pay a fine to keep it from going onto my record and probably have to do community service. (Apparently that's what he did with his first ticket)

Ereek

The cop flashed his lights and the 1st guy started to pull over because he was going atleast 90mph. Since the 1st guy was a head of me, I was trying to keep driving at a reduced speed, but the cop immedietly caught up next to me. I tried to keep driving without looking at him, but he turned on his siren and pointed at me to pull over as well. I ended up pulling over a bit ahead of the 1st guy who pulled over. I was definitely not going near the other guys speed, but I was cited for going 83mph... It was more like lower 70's.

Ereek

I wish your theory was right. since I have no pics I should have no ticket, right?

skd2k1

iTrader: (1)

Get your windows fixed or at least get a receipt from a shop saying you did, judge will probably throw that ticket out. Regarding the headlight ticket, I would plead not guilty...cop will have to prove otherwise which would be near impossible. Good luck!

MarcoNorthPolo

Cops in my area take photos of any mechanical infractions right then and there, so it's harder to contest tint, headlights, taillights, speeding, etc.

Majofo

MarcoNorthPolo

Does that ticket say that you have "2" eyes?

Majofo

, although in the officers defense, it is NJ.. he might have just copied it from the DL.

MarcoNorthPolo

Easy fix then, show up to court with a patch on one eye! Anywhere else I would assume that they'd put your eye color in lol.

crazyasiantl

iTrader: (7)

1. Can we move this to ramblings?

2. When you ask a cop to show proof of speed, does he have to show? I got stopped for 77 in a 55 and and he refused to show proof or speed or even tell me the speed until I saw it on the ticket when he handed everything back.

I'm fighting this one for sure

1995hoo

Depends on the particular state's law.

TVL65

As far as speeding is concerned last year I bought a Valentine one Radar/Laser detector & it has paid for itself probably 20 times over. It cost me $499 plus the concealment kit, mine is mounted on the driver side visor & cannot be seen from the front or sides. All my rear windows are tinted & does not affect the range. Now first & foremost if you get one and flat out speed everyone you're gonna get nailed eventually. Its to be used to monitor your speed. Driving through towns here in north jersey I'd say that 95% of the time cops in these towns are running radar all the time, NJSP do too on Rte 287 etc but also use laser which is very hard to beat and deadly accurate. Rte 23 is ALWAYS being patrolled & radar used, although Pequonnick? police use laser too. Keep in mind these highways are considered "Heroin Highways" and are heavily patrolled. Last week I drove out to Pa for work on Rte 78 & my detector went off so many times I thought it would start smoking. Some cops use instant on so they got you before you can react. I don't usually speed but I monitor my speed especially when the detector goes off far in advance of a visual on the police car.

TVL65

I forgot to add that NJ towns are BROKE $$$$. They need revenue so more tickets are being written, a Radar/Laser detector is your best defense.

sopmodm14

yea, i got pinched in southern tier of NYS on my way to NJ (I-390)

NYS is poor too, and i hate the extortion, i can't wait to leave

79/65 on 6/27

imakeholesinu

I got a ticket from the garage I park in, of which I am a monthly parker in because I forgot to put my hang tag up. This garage uses a system where daily parkers punch in their license plate number and someone goes around and audits the lot. I had to put my license plate number in to register as a monthly parker. As to why they just don't automatically pull those down instead of having a hang tag I'm not sure. Anyway, daily parking is $6, monthly is $95 and the ticket is $44.

They just closed the garage for construction with no warning anyway so I can't even park there now. I'm parking at another place and will just submit my receipts to them.

F U Central Parking Systems.

tones160

$95 a month for a parking lot? Jeez i wouldnt mind paying that in NYS bro.

sopmodm14

anyone ever hired a ticket lawyer in NYS ? I could use a referral

Antonio K

I'm in Pittsburgh, PA, and have been driving my TL-S less than a month. The officer said that according to a witness it appeared I was racing another car which would be really bad, but he let me off with a somewhat lighter offense since I was being very cooperative. No radar, but he claimed I was going 65 in a 35 zone. This was my very first traffic violation in over 7 years of driving.

I've got a mandatory court appearance within 10 days. I'm not nearly as concerned about paying any fines as I am about getting my license suspended or my insurance to going up. I had no idea how severe penalties could be for a first offense. Should I hire a lawyer? This is all completely new territory to me, so any advice would be much appreciated.

1black_seven

iTrader: (2)

Did you admit to racing or driving recklessly?
It's not what they know, it's what they can prove.

"Appeared" doesn't mean "did"
He said she said doesn't make a compelling case.

wojo1988

Does he have you on radar? If not then how can he prove you were racing in your car?? Based off what some citizen said? NO Just the fact that he let you off with a 30 over (how did he even get that number)


Sorry but I see a lot in your favour with this. Unless your not telling the full truth

1black_seven

iTrader: (2)

They can't issue you a ticket because someone witnessed you racing. The officer has to physically witness the offense. At least in my state and most others.
This is how Gumball racers don't get tickets when other drivers call and complain.

GOOSEej

iTrader: (2)

wow he gave you a ticket based on someone who told him you were "racing"?

What 1black_seven said he said she said doesnt make compelling case..

what an asshole cop

It really depends what he put on the ticket too, the judge will see that a make a decision but if you had a clean record no need to worry too much. Ive gotten ticket for going over 100mph and the cop has lowered it to 95+ i didnt get my license suspended and i was able to do traffic school because ive kept a clean record. But all judges are different.

dcmodels

In my state the cop can write something on HIS copy of the ticket, the part that the judge will see, that does not appear on YOUR copy of the ticket. The cop can therefore write that he thinks you were racing, even if he did not specifically ticket you for it. And the judge will see that. Not saying that happened in your case, but should be considered when deciding what you will do.

You can consult with a lawyer, who can obtain access to whatever the cop wrote.

Last time I used a lawyer, it cost me $500 for the lawyer, plus *court-costs* of $150, for going 60mph in a 25 zone. Understand that most people normally go 40mph or faster on the particular road - did not matter. That area was previously posted at 45, it was late at night, there was no traffic, etc.

My probation period was 1-year, which was not bad considering it took 8 months to ajudicate the ticket. So really, after leaving court, I only had to go another 4 months without another ticket. Which I did *barely* manage.

yes, the original fine was just $150, but with the lawyer the ticket was *dismissed* after the probation period, never appeared on my record, and was never seen by my insurance. For me, that was worth it, because I was driving a Camaro at the time, and was getting at least one ticket every year (sometimes more). Yep, I got ALL of them dismissed during the 8 years I owned that Cop magnet.

Anyway, when interviewing a lawyer, you really need to discuss and understand just what he/she can do for you. My lawyer specifically stated that he could get the ticket *dismissed* with payment, just because of his *relationship* with the judges in the court in which I would appear. Yes, he flirted with the (older) female judge during my appearance, and the judge told me to *shut-it* and did not want to hear from me.

The Cop was annoyed, and the female prosecutor was really *pissed* off. Too bad. IMO what I did not not dangerous, just another example of under-posted speed on an open road, and an opportunity for *road-tax*.
************

For other tickets, in my specific city, it is usually possible to simply pay a fine and take a one day (actually 2 hour) traffic school, and the ticket *goes away*. Took care of 4-5 tickets that way. Again, its *road-tax-collection*.
************

Just in case any are thinking I am a really *bad* driver, since selling the Camaro I have gone the past 6 years with no tickets. With the Camaro, every time I stopped at a traffic light, any Cop sitting nearby would be instantly running my plates on their onboard computer.

erdoc48

When you go to court, if you have a clean record, you can generally meet (briefly) with the Prosecutor, and have the citation 'lowered' to 'unsafe vehicle operation'. When you do this, it the charge can be brought down to a zero point offense, so therefore, insurance should not be affected. At least this is how it is in NJ. However, since the ins. companies and the courts are in 'cahoots', there's generally an insurance surcharge as part of the pleading down of the charge. It may cost a bit (like $400-500) for the lower charge and the insurance surcharge, but at least there won't be points on the license and insurance premium should not go up. An attorney representing you will likely cost quite a bit and you're not guaranteed of success, so you may actually wind up paying more (for both the charge and attorney) vs. pleading the charge down w/o need for an attorney).

Be prepared that in general, the cards in the court are stacked against you, and you are really assumed guilty based on what the LEO has cited you for. You really can't go before the judge representing yourself (reality is that the judge won't hear your case and would need to reschedule your hearing AND he would likely recommend you get an attorney if you wanted to proceed this way), and expect to 'get off' the charge- it just doesn't happen that way. There will be a lot of people for traffic court on the same day, and it's basically a means of getting everyone to pay, quickly.

I agree with the online traffic school to lose a couple of points as well if you wind up getting them no matter what.

Good luck!

Vlad_Type_S

iTrader: (3)

No radar = no proof. To me this is very simple: when you get to court, ask to see the evidence against you. If it's not there, motion to dismiss due to lack of evidence.

Then again, I'm a keyboard lawyer.

Jackass

You need to research the specific laws and ordinances that apply to the jurisdiction the ticket was written in. We all can guess and tell you what we have done, but it doesn't matter if we haven't dealt with the same jurisdiction.

Pay attention to what the actual violation was written for on the ticket. You need to find out what the penalties are, what the plea deals are, and if it will impact points on your license and how that is reported to your insurance. All of this varies from state to state, county by county, and city by city.

I know where I live a speeding ticket can be a $150 fine that is reduced to a faulty equipment non-moving violation if issued by the county, but is about $400 if issued by the city and you must get an attorney to plea it down otherwise it remains a moving violation. Basically....way too many variables at play here for us to give you much advice that is actually useful.

If I was under 30, not married, and in your shoes?? I would hire an attorney. Now that I am over 30....I would probably just pay the fine and be done with it.

YeuEmMaiMai

Hold up guys

someone calls 911 and says a TL [color or plate # here] and another car are racing

Officer finds dude doing 65 in a 35

put 2 and 2 together and voilla officer tries get get dude to admit to what the caller stated.... Police are allowed to LIE during interrogations you know...

my thoughts are he should have been BUSTED for reckless driving for a stated 30 over as there is no excuse for that one....

also pacing is legal in most states and believe it or not so is an officer's judgment as to how fast the dude was going...

PA Specific rules
http://www.motorists.org/chapters/pennsylvania

http://www.licenserestoration.com/re...riving-75-3736

http://www.licenserestoration.com/points


3362 Exceeding maximum speed Miles over Speed Limit: 6 to 10 over 2 ponts

11 to 15 (If violation occurs in an active work zone, 15-day suspension) and 3 points

16 to 25 (If violation occurs in an active work zone, 15-day suspension) and 4 points

26 to 30 (If violation occurs in an active work zone, 15-day suspension) and 5 points

31 and over Departmental Hearing and Sanctions provided under Section 1538(d) and 5 points
(If violation occurs in an active work zone, also 15-day suspension)

1995hoo

That argument won't get you anywhere. There are other ways of judging speed, including (but not limited to) old-fashioned pacing.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

LOL he didnt catch you doing shit!



next time he uses those key words " i think,you appear, you seem, Do you know how fast you were going" ya know guessing and trying to get you admit....


PLAY DUMB AS FUCK.

if you admit, you're getting a citation!

v8eatr

They don't need you on radar to see you were racing. I have gotten two racing tickets years ago and was never on radar. The speed thing would be harder to prove without radar. In my state I believe a cop can issue a ticket solely based on a credible witness but again, I'm sure its very rare and if you went to court it would likely be dropped.

paperboy42190

iTrader: (7)

Everyone seems to be so concerned with the racing part...but let me ask you something. Were you actually speeding? You only got a ticket for speeding, the racing part he could have just made up. I'm sure almost everyone here has gotten a speeding ticket at some point before, its not the end of the world. Pay it, take traffic school if you can, and move on with your life.

If you are SURE you weren't speeding, then I guess you can try to fight it. Here in california we have something called trial by declaration. Not sure if you have this in your state but its one of those things that not many people know about. I've won 3 tickets myself through TBD as it has a much higher chance of you winning compared to showing up to court(only if you're a lawyer then showing up in court may yield better chances).

screaminz28

iTrader: (1)

Get a lawyer - there's a saying too. A good lawyer knows the law. A great lawyer knows the judge.

Face the fact that the world works based on relationships, not the strict mandate of the law. That's also why they say if you are guilty in a criminal case, get a jury. If you are innocent, get a bench trial. Much easier to convince 12 stupid people of reasonable doubt than a 'supposedly' knowledgeable judge.

MarcoNorthPolo

Lol, I love the armchair quarterbacks in here. If a witness gives a statement and agrees to go to court, the cop has enough evidence for whatever crime the witness is alleging. Between an independent witness testifying and a professional witness like the cop laying out what they observed, there can be a lot of evidence for what someone "appeared" to be doing. RADAR or not.


A witness just has to be believable. IE: I've been driving for 24 years and although I couldn't pinpoint someone's actual speed, I could certainly tell when they're doing over the speed limit because I know what 50 km/hr looks like, 80 km/hr looks like and what 100 km/hr looks like in oncoming traffic. A seasoned cop is even better at articulating this.


The ticket you got was for doing close to double the speed limit. That's not a normal ticket they would give out that often so I'll bet that's the reason for the mandatory court appearance. Where I am, a normal ticket covers up to 49 km/hr over the limit. When you hit 50 km/hr over it goes from a $300 ticket to over $2,400, your car is impounded and you must appear in court. It's called "stunting."

tones160

You guys are so wrong lol....like i've said before within this thread. A police supposedly caught me speeding at 81+ mph when i wasn't even near that speed. He didn't radar me, he just "saw". Went to court and lost the case because my friends and family members that were in my car are not legitimate witnesses. So I lost the case because the judge believed the cop's words over mine. Got slapped with 6 points and a driver responsibility assessment for 3 yrs. The whole time i was innocent, polite, and professional about it.

This system doesn't work. They will get you no matter what you say or what solid proof you have to defend yourself.

According to the judge "There's a first time for everything" ---my jaw dropped to the floor and it was completely my fault for not bringing a lawyer in because i was 120% sure i was going to win the case with a bullshit yellow written up ticket for speeding.

ggesq

iTrader: (1)

^ you think that's bad.

I know a local criminal defense attorney that is dating a higher up (supervisor) at the state attorney's office (both very well known in the legal community here) that went up against the word of one cop during a hearing/trial and the judge believed the cop that they rolled thru a stop sign instead of stopping.

bla8291

Back on New Years Eve, I was driving up to Tampa from Hollywood, and at around 9 PM while passing through Charlotte County, I got pulled over by Charlotte County PD. I was doing 80 in a 70, and he tried to tell me I was doing 86, and slowed down to 82 once I saw him. I pointed at the bright green cruise control light which was still on, and said I had it fixed at 80 (I didn't even notice he was following me until it was too late - I looked at my mirror and noticed familiar headlights, and before I could process that thought, the lights came on). He kept going on about how my speed was going up and down, and I kept pointing at the cruise control. Speed does vary between cruise control, but it's usually 79-81 (for my case), not all the way up to 86. I gave him my papers, and after a while he just gives me a warning and says to slow down.

I was so relieved...all I could think of was my insurance. If it matters, I'm black, and he was a young white cop.

tones160

Dude you lucked out with a slap on the wrist.

tones160

Wow now that's crazy and pretty messed up. All these cities all they want is their money some way or another. I can't wait once they pass the law that law that police officers have to wear a camera while on duty.